


14,000,606th (IronStrange Endgame AU)

by Pheleus



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 19:40:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19708108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pheleus/pseuds/Pheleus
Summary: This was it. The battle was over, and with it, Tony Stark's life would be too, in a few minutes. Stephen Strange wasn't having it though. Call him selfish, but he won't let himself be robbed of a possible future with the person he admires (though he doesn't want to admit it yet). He'll create a 14,000,606th ending, whatever it takes.





	1. NO, not now

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic so please forgive me for mistakes. Hope you like it anyways!

They won. It's finally done. The giant menacing titan and his alien army got what they deserved, for wrecking other people's lives in pursuit of a senseless, vain and meaningless ideal. All it took was one snap to reverse the damages, and another to wipe out the enemies, or so most thought in the beginning. When the moment came, he knew what was going to become of him. Tony Stark, the one and only Iron Man, knew that his life, his very short-lived happiness, needs to be traded for the well-being of the universe, who mostly never cared, or stood for him anyway. Regardless, he did it ,in a swift motion, and out of desperation, Tony stole all the infinity stones from Thanos, muttered his about-to-be final words, "And I, am... IRON MAN", then snapped.

The power coursed through each and every vein on his body, but alas, it was too much. His measly human body couldn't contain the power, and the recoil did far more than what the others thought and wished. In just a few minutes, the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthrophist is gonna be no more. "You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play." a certain super soldier in blue, red, and white suit said to Tony a few years ago. As he was laying, back pressed against a stone on planet Titan, almost lifeless, he suddenly remembered it and said in his crumbling mind, "Yeah, F*ck you, Cap." . With each passing moment, it became harder to breathe, Tony was used to it, but this one was different. He wasn't panicking, he was calm, still as a lake in the summer. He was just thinking of what he could have experienced if he could live for longer, just a little bit longer, what it was like to be a parent and take care of Morgan, just like Clint with his own daughter, what it was like to lead a peaceful life, what it was like to watch Peter and Harley grow up and eventually become Men from the little boys they currently are, what it was like to live away from everything dangerous. But it was all too late now.

In a blink of an eye, Pepper rushed by Tony's side. Visibly trying to hold back her tears, she kept herself strong, she put up a chaotically beautiful but obvious and transparent facade of a smile. She had never cursed her powerlessness far more than in this moment. She hated that she couldn't do anything but sit back and watch. She thought that if she fought beside Tony, it would somehow make a difference, but it didn't, she didn't have it, the power to save Tony. Before bursting into tears, she put her hand on Tony's Arc reactor, with its electric blue light starting to fade, she said in the most calm voice she could muster at that moment, "It's okay, we're going to be alright, you can rest now."

Tony knew it was lie, he knew it was all a lie that Pepper conjured because she didn't want him to see her crying before dying. It broke his heart even more, he wanted to live, he really did. Funny and ironic, cuz all this time, before all this Thanos bullsh*t, he really did want to die. Life is such a b*tch, it gives you what you wish for when you don't need it anymore.

Regrets, regrets, regrets flooded everyone's mind, even Peter Parker's, who was beside Pepper, crying and crying, screaming "Don't go Mr. Stark! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please live for me, I need you Mr. Stark, please, please. You told me we were gonna go to different places. You told me you weren't gonna leave me. YOU TOLD ME IT WAS GONNA BE ALRIGHT!". Seeing the boy's suffering, Tony told himself, "I'm such an ass. If only I could live, I would, Peter, I would." Too bad all those thoughts are in vain cuz no one can hear them. If's, all these if's can never become reality.

And now, his body is betraying his will. He's slowly becoming tired, eyes slowly closing without his permission, he wanted to say goodbye, he wanted to say a lot of things but he can't. His eyes are now filled with darkness, can't see anything but pitch black. "Goo...d...by...e" Tony muttered.

But then, amidst the darkness, a bright orange lit up. An orange so warm and bright it resembled the sun. It was comforting, soothing, very relaxing. He was enjoying the warmth of the color, when his thoughts were suddenly broken by a cold, baritone voice that served as an offset to the orange. "Who said you could rest without my permission, douchebag?" Tony's hazel eyes darted open and met another pair colored with an electric blue. What he saw and heard, gave him hope, lit up the fire within him. "Stephen?" he thought to himself. With his arrival via sling ring, everyone turned to the wizard, eyes begging him to do something.


	2. Many Faces, Countless Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few familiar faces here and there. What's happening? No one knows. Everyone's just hoping for the best, the explanation can come later.

Strange took a deep breath, and with a quick wave of his hands, retrieved the time stone from Tony's make-shift gauntlet, now partly burned off. He opened a few more sling rings and those who came out shocked his current audience to an extent. Out came Scarlet Witch, Gamora, Captain Marvel, and Thor. But the one who shocked people the most was the entrance of Loki, who was thought to be dead. Stephen silenced everyone and said "I'll explain later, I've got to deal with something far more important than all of your question combined right now."

Scarlet Witch took the Mind Stone, Gamora held the Soul stone, Captain Marvel reached for the Power Stone, Thor grasped the Reality Stone, and Loki snatched the Space Stone, about to run away, when he was eyed by Stephen. Loki sighed, and then stayed for the plan.

"Let's make quick work of this, I don't want to see this usually snarky genius at this state." Stephen stated, averting his gaze from Tony _He felt like crying every time he saw Tony like this, especially after witnessing it over 14,000,605 times. Within those alternate futures, he spent so much more than a few hours with Tony, and one could say he fell in love, but he wasn't ready to admit it yet_

They got to the plan in a moment's notice. Wanda used the mind stone and channeled it's powers through Tony's eyes and mind, who then fell asleep. Wanda gave Captain Marvel a nod, who then channeled the power stone's bolts into Tony rhythmically. She pushed the bolts to Tony everytime Stephen said "Clear!" as if it was another form of cardio-electrocution, a technique used by doctors to revive patients. Thor who currently has the Reality Stone, assisted Carol with his lightning. Gamora sat beside Tony, and then closed her eyes. Within an instant, Tony saw someone he thought he'd never see again.

"Hey Tony. Sup?" a familiar feminine yet strong voice echoed into Tony's mind. "Nat?" Tony questioned what he was seeing. He couldn't believe it, Natasha Romanoff, who sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone was talking to him. He wanted to say a lot of things but the assassin shushed him.

"I won't be here for long."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"What you're seeing is not my real body. I'm still dead. My soul is still inside the stone and we're currently inside your mind, meaning only you can see me."  
  
Tony felt like crying, but he was taught not to do so, by his own father. He couldn't help it though, a few tears escaped his eyes.  
  
"The original Gamora of this timeline is also temporarily out of the stone, I think she went to see Quill and the other guardians"  
  
"How?"  
  
"While inside, we felt a warm orange wavelength, accompanied by a familiar soul. When we got out, we realized something. That wavelength was Stephen Strange's doing, and the soul was the other Gamora's"  
  
"Stephen?"  
  
"Yes, and I'm currently seeing the things happening outside, want to see?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Then you better fight this. Live for me, your family, and for that someone currently spending all his power to get you back outside."  
  
"His? So it isn't Pepper? Who could it be?"  
  
"I'm not telling. And by the way, you better give me a proper funeral or I'll haunt your dreams like this for the rest of your life."  
  
"Okay, okay. I miss you, I will always do. You're the first avenger I ever met."  
  
"Likewise.", Nat said before dissolving into thin air, in the form of little spheres of light.  
  
"Tony, you got this, you will survive this." The man said as he slapped his face with both hands.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic so please forgive me for mistakes. Hope you like it anyways!


End file.
